Zombie Candy
by Arcade Lackey
Summary: Takes place during "A Sudden Surge" and later "The Honeyglow Surge". Zombie of Bad Anon passes the time in Sugar Rush where he comes across its once-ruler. How will this chance encounter shape their lives?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** Before deciding on whether or not to read this story, please read chapter 2 as I'm very proud of how it turned out. This is sort of a fast chapter to set things up. I also have two other stories which take place at the same time. If you haven't already, I strongly suggest reading them :). The stories will connect and diverge on occasion. The two stories I speak of are "A Sudden Surge" and its sequel "The Honeyglow Surge".

"A Sudden Surge" is about Mr. Litwak getting a new game, Sugar Rush 2. It's set 10 years after the first Sugar Rush. The characters would be 19 years old in this game in other words. Felix and Ralph lose their memory because they alone were still in their games when Mr. Litwak replaced the surge protector with two separate ones. The others took refuge in Sugar Rush and another game since in those games their highscores and memories are saved. The main focus of the story is Felix and Ralph struggling to regain their memories, and saving two games from a hidden threat. As well there is the very slowly budding romance between Ralph and the Vanellope of Sugar Rush 2 (nonexistent until the later chapters).

"The Honeyglow Surge" is the direct sequel to "A Sudden Surge", being more romance oriented.

Okay, so that's enough explanations, the story starts below this line!

* * *

The members of Bad Anon are having a race in Sugar Rush to pass the time. There wasn't much for them to do as the arcade was closed and some of their games were plugged into Game Station West anyways. There was currently no means of travel to Game Station East, but there was no rush as the arcade will have opened long after the cross-station monorail was complete.

"Zombie not know so much fun existed!" Zombie said aloud, as he haphazardly drove the 'Smartie Kart', a go-kart he baked with the help of Zangief. It was decorated with Smarties to look as close to a brain as possible.. His only regret was that he couldn't carry his hatchets as he drove. His hands were surprisingly steady despite his head flailing around occasionally. There wasn't much for him to do, as his game was plugged into Game Station West, and besides, the arcade was closed.

"Zangief passed you by!" Zangief yelled, as he passed Zombie in the 'Skull Breaker'. Which was decorated with broken bits of jawbreakers with a design similar to a skull.

"Zombie see about that!" Zombie screamed happily, activating his power-up which took the form of a giant ice cream cone that shoots a single giant glob of ice cream.

"Oh! Brain Freeze!" the announcer declared as Zangief's kart was hit. Zombie was in 3rd place. Ahead of him was M. Bison in the 'Lemonhead Stomp' which was decorated in all yellow with red interior and red frosting dripped all over it, and Cyborg in the 'Cy-kart' which was decorated to look like random karts were pieced together.

M. Bison used his Sweet Seekers power-up on Cyborg, bringing Zombie one limp closer to victory. Zombie had no other power-ups available, how would he catch up, he wondered. He noticed a poorly blocked off side road and used it as a shortcut. He emerged in the tunnel just a second ahead of M. Bison.

"A formidable opponent," M. Bison said calmly, "Super Turbo!". He slowly inched up next to Zombie's kart. Zombie was having none of that.

"Sorry!" he said as he bumped his kart into M. Bison's, knocking it into the wall in the middle of the tunnel. Without further incident he'd won the race. He got out of his kart and let out a loud groan, holding up his hatchets in a victory pose.

"Nice race, eh Zombie?" Zangief said with a smile, "Your driving, very good."

"Yes!" Zombie agreed, "Zangief helped!"

"It was least I could do," Zangief replied, "Minigame complicated at first glance."

"Zombie wants to see where Ralph made beacon!" Zombie said, "Zangief coming?" Diet Cola Mountain had become a tourist attraction of sorts, especially among the Bad Anons. Though no one was allowed inside, as it was 'dangerous'. The truth is that there were rumors that it was haunted, making it seem more like a grave than anything.

"Polite pass," Zangief said, "I have prior engagement with Tapper's. Take care friend."

"Okay!" Zombie said, getting back into his kart and driving off to Diet Cola Mountain.

It was even more impressive up close. He parked his kart right next to it and got out, reaching a hand out to touch it. He fell through the non-solid wall and ended up inside. "RAAAGH!" he groaned, getting to his feet.

A mentos fell into the boiling pool of diet cola, causing a small tremor. Zombie couldn't help but take interest in the unfinished track made of strawberry creme wafers. He squinted his eyes at a figure at the top. "Was the place truly haunted," he wondered. He made his way toward the figure slowly, hatchets in hand. It didn't seem to notice his approach.

"RAAGH, not ghost. Zombie disappointed!" Zombie said as he stood before him.

"Ahhh!" King Candy screamed, nearly falling into the springs down below. He no longer had a crown, and his clothes were ragged.

* * *

**Author's Note:** One more thing, you'll notice that later I refer to King Candy as 'Candy Kane'. That's his character's actual name in this story and I use that name because he doesn't consider himself a king anymore after everything that happened.


	2. Chapter 2

Zombie helped the former King Candy up, as he was desperately hanging onto one of the strawberry creme wafers that made up the unfinished bonus track. "Zombie think ghost need to be more careful," he said jokingly.

King Candy was conflicted and in a state of panic. It was a _zombie_! But he helped him up. Or maybe it was so that he could eat his _brain_?! "S-Stay back!" he yelled.

"Zombie hurt, but _understand_," Zombie said, sitting down. He would never let it get to him, since he had friends in Bad Anon, but everyone else always ran away from him. He's got _hatchets_! And he's a _zombie_ as well!

"You're.. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so _insensitive_," King Candy said apologetically after considering the situation more carefully.

"HAAAH! Ghost not need to worry. Zombie _used to it_ by now," Zombie replied.

"Please, my name is Candy Kane," he said, "I used to be king around here, but.." He stopped in his tracks. He remembered it all. For 15 years, his body had been controlled by someone else. His thoughts were still his own, but the words he was saying, the actions he took.. Everything was decided by that other person and he could never break free of his control.

"Zombie listening," Zombie said, "Everyone have story need to tell."

"You're a good guy, Zombie," Candy Kane said, "Well I'll give you the short version, it's been 15 _years_!" He racked his brain trying to put the events in order. "Well, I guess I should start from the time Sugar Rush was first plugged in, in _1997_. It was quitting time and everyone was out watching the races. My daughter.. Well, my adoptive daughter, was a very popular racer avatar back then."

Zombie looked at him, listening with interest. Candy Kane sighed.

"That was when _everything_ turned upside down," Candy Kane said, "You see, unknown to us, some _criminal_ had broken into the castle and went into our game's _code room_. At first all he did was combine his data with mine, somehow. It would have been bearable if that's all he had done.."

"What happen?!" Zombie yelled.

"Well, you see, my daughter had always been a more popular avatar than me, with good reason, uhuhu!" Candy Kane continued, "I wish I had pictures. This must have frustrated the one who took over me, because before long he had my number one servant, Sour Bill, assist him in going into the code room again." Candy Kane paused. Thinking about it made him so angry.

"Tell Zombie!" Zombie at this point absolutely needed to know.

"Sorry, it's hard to talk about.." Candy Kane said, "He went into the _code room_ again, this time bent on revenge on my daughter. I couldn't stop my body no matter how hard I tried.. He ripped the game connections out of her file in an attempt to delete her from the game, to make him the number one racer." He was crying, thinking back on his weakness, his inability to prevent what was to come.

"No!" Zombie yelled, dropping one of his hatchets and placed his hand on Candy Kane's shoulder. Maybe a little too hard, but it's the thought that counts.

"I'm fine.." Candy Kane said, happy to have someone to talk to after months of living in Diet Cola Mountain by himself, "He didn't stop there. He locked up the memories of all the citizens and racers so that they couldn't even remember her. And then he told everyone that she was a glitch, a character that was never even meant to exist. That they couldn't have anything to do with her in case it spread to them. But worst of all! Worst of all was that she wasn't allowed to race! Such a _despicable_ man! And I couldn't do _anything_ about it!" He was moving his hands around crazily as he explained the story.

"RAAAGH! Calm down! Might fall!" Zombie yelled. He may be a zombie, but if he fell into that diet cola, it would be the end of even him. Candy Kane took deep breaths.

"Sorry," Candy Kane said, "Things went on like this for _years_.. _Vanellope_, my daughter.. She was a fiesty one, uhuhu! She would build her own karts out in the Junkyard. She would try again and again to join in the races. It was in her code, after all. But the racers, they were so mean to her. Every time, they would break her _heart_. And they would break her kart. They would push her in the mud and tell her she shouldn't even exist. The person controlling me would have the guards try to lock her in the Fungeon.. Fun dungeon.. Luckily she was smarter than that. It was the one silver lining in all this."

"But Candy Kane not controlled now!" Zombie yelled.

"Yes.. But this happened over the course of 15 years," Candy Kane said, "Don't worry, there's a happy ending. Thank god for that. This man, Wreck-It Ralph came from another game by pure chance and changed it all in a single night. Something I could never do. He _saved_ her. He saved _me_."

"_Ralph_!" Zombie cheered, "Zombie _know_ Ralph! One of best friends!"

"You have good taste," Candy Kane said, "He interrupted a race, trying to chase her down because she had stolen his _medal_ and used it as her entrance fee into that day's Random Roster Race. We hold it every day to decide the next day's nine racers.. Ralph was caught and brought to my castle for questioning. He earned the medal in _Hero's Duty_, I believe he said. And it was then when I learned my enemy's name. **Turbo**."

"_Ralph_ went Turbo that day! Zombie remember!" Zombie yelled.

"Yes! Going Turbo, that's what he said! But I'm glad he did, you have _no idea_," Candy Kane said, "He seemed to be such a _selfish_ man at the time. Only concerned about his medal. I'm not sure what happened exactly, but apparently he had a change of heart and made some sort of deal with Vanellope. He helped her make a kart. Not one of those _pedal_ karts she made in the Junkyard, but a _real_ kart, ahaha! It was a _mess_! But it was a _real kart_! I could feel the tension building inside of my body, but I was _ecstatic_! I may have had a _heart attack_."

If zombies could cry, Zombie would be crying. "RAAAGHAHA!" Zombie let out a groan and a laugh at the same time.

"It didn't last for long though, unfortunately," Candy Kane continued, "Turbo chased her down. He couldn't quite keep up with her, even though she wasn't driving it. She couldn't remember _how to drive_ with the connections severed. Ralph is surprisingly quick with his hands.. _He_ was the one that made their escape possible. Turbo lost track of her here, at _Diet Cola Mountain_. That made him furious. He went into the code room again and took the _medal_ out of the _Winner's Cup_, where the race's entry fee is stored. Thank god this didn't disqualify her from the race."

Zombie swang his other hand which was holding one of his hatchets and broke a piece of strawberry creme wafer. He hated Turbo.

"Careful!" Candy Kane yelled in shock before continuing, "Turbo drove back to Diet Cola Mountain. He must have known the two of them had to be around there somewhere. They were inside here the whole time, I would imagine. When Turbo got there, Ralph was outside, waiting alone with Vanellope's kart. Turbo made this _horrible_, _convincing_ argument. It would have convinced nearly anyone.. Turbo had given Ralph his medal back and drove off after he could see he successfully tricked Ralph into being on his side, but stayed hidden nearby. I could hear Vanellope's _desperate_ pleas to get Ralph to let her race. It didn't matter if she died as long as she could race at least one time. But he wouldn't listen. He had come to care for her, like a _father _I would expect.."

"Ralph Bad Guy, but _good guy_!" Zombie said.

"Yes, but my hopes had been shattered by what he did next," Candy Kane said sadly, "He _destroyed_ her kart, betraying her trust. The one friend she had made in _15 years_.." He sighed. "She gave herself up when **Turbo** and the guards came for her. She was finally put in the Fungeon in a so-called '_glitch-proof_' cell."

"Zombie _hate_ **Turbo**! RAAAAGH!" Zombie yelled.

"_As do I_! But as luck would have it, however, ahaha! Ralph must have realized something was wrong. I don't know how, but before long he must have broken her out, because just after the race had started, there she was! Entering the race with that very _kart_! Turbo had such a huge head start! But there she was, passing him by like it was _nothing_! I had never been so happy in all my life by that point!"

"YEAHHH!" Zombie yelled.

"But Turbo took a shortcut to get past her again, and rammed into her kart, and started smashing up her kart trying to hit her with the kart's horn that he had pulled off! Her kart was jammed onto his, you see. But Turbo turning Vanellope into a _glitch_ backfired after this! She used it against him when she was nearly about to get smashed on a wall in the middle of the tunnel we were in at the time."

"Zombie think he was just there!" Zombie said.

"Well anyway, she _glitched_.. Ah, she _teleported_ her and her kart free and made it out of the tunnel," Candy Kane said, "It made Turbo wreck into the wall alone for a moment, which gave her the lead. I thought this would be the end of it, but there must have been something else going on that neither me nor _Turbo_ had realized until then. This giant robot bug came down at the exit of the tunnel just as _Turbo_ got there. We were _eaten alive_! I thought for sure this would be the end, but I woke up, still not in control, but I was now a part of that bug. I _still_ have nightmares about it!"

"Zombie think Candy Kane talking about _Cy-bug_ from _Hero's Duty_. Heard from Ralph!" Zombie said.

"Yes, that would make sense! Ralph won a medal from Hero's Duty!" Candy Kane said, "After a while, there were hundreds! Maybe _thousands_ of other '_Cy-bugs_' flying around, consuming everything they could! Even the finish line.. I thought all hope was lost, but I saw _Ralph_ fly on top of this very mountain. He was trying to make it erupt. The Cy-bug, or maybe it was still Turbo must have known what Ralph was trying to do, or that he must be up to something, because he slammed him into a wall and _grabbed him_. He flew up, still holding Ralph with his insect legs. I could see Vanellope and two others at the exit of the game, about to be eaten by some Cy-bugs that were slowly inching towards them."

"No!" Zombie yelled. He was so into the story that he forgot that everything must have turned out fine.

"But then! This is my _favorite part_!" Candy Kane said, perking up, "Tur-bug said something about watching her die and that it's the end for both of them.. _Ralph_.. He did something so _selfless_.."

"What?!" Zombie asked.

"He said that it was just the end for _him_," Candy Kane said tears still flowing from his eyes, "Ready to accept _his own death_ if it meant saving _Vanellope_, and _this game_, he broke free from Tur-bug's grasp and did a free fall towards the mentos. I couldn't hear what he was saying exactly, but it must have been something to strengthen his resolve. Because what he did.. He turned mid-fall so that he would punch the mentos at the _moment of impact, _dislodging it. The majority of the mentos fell into this diet cola spring here, and erupted, forming some kind of _pillar of light_. All of the Cy-bugs couldn't help but fly into the light, and I myself was quite entranced. In the corner of my eye I saw Ralph and Vanellope falling towards a giant lake of chocolate syrup, thank god they landed in it. I wasn't sure at first. There was nothing I could do but slowly fly into the light, despite Tur-bug's protests, as if it were the only thing that mattered in the world.. It was broiling hot, the malignant code was being stripped from my body bit by bit. It was nearly _unbearable_, but at the same time it felt so _satisfying_. I felt as though I could die happy, knowing that my daughter, and the game was safe."

"But Candy Kane alive!" Zombie pointed out.

"Yes, I respawned here. In this mountain," Candy Kand said, "I've been living here ever since. I scare off some kids every now and then with candy wrappers wrapped around me like a candy ghost."

"But Candy Kane's daughter!" Zombie protested.

"I could never face her after everything Turbo did posing as me.." Candy Kane said, wiping away his tears, "I'm certain it would bring back too many painful memories. She might not even believe I'm not Turbo.."

* * *

**Author's Note:** I feel so bad for the guy.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** Okay so this jumps ahead just a tiny bit past what I have in my main story, "A Sudden Surge". I should get to that tomorrow.

* * *

"That answer not _good_ enough for Zombie!" Zombie yelled, "Zombie don't think Vanellope so superficial! She _forgive_ racers. Candy Kane need to talk to her, tell her how he feel."

"Y-you didn't tell me _your_ story that you need to tell!" Candy Kane countered to change the subject.

"Zombie from The House of the Dead, people scared because he a _zombie_, **The End**," Zombie said, "Now Zombie take Candy Kane see Vanellope and racers. They _understand_, Zombie know it!" He stood up suddenly and grabbed Candy Kane by the collar of his torn suit.

"Don't pull! I've only got the one suit!" Candy Kane protested, "I _appreciate_ that you want to help me Zombie, I really _do_. But if they don't accept it, which is a very _real_ possibility mind you, I would be thrown into the _Fungeon_!"

"_Tell_ Zombie.." Zombie said, "How much worse in _Fungeon_ than here?!"

Candy Kane thought about it. He didn't want to admit it, but Zombie had a _point_. He'd been spending these past few months, finally free of control, only to isolate himself much like he was before. It's not the _Fungeon_ he was afraid of, but being _rejected_ by his subjects. Being rejected by his _daughter_. But it's _true. _Vanellope _did_ forgive those racers who had made her life a living hell. She was even willing to do that before she found out she was the princess and their memories were erased. Besides, what left did he have to lose?

"No.. You're right, Zombie. _Thank you_," Candy Kane said, "Can you take me to them? Honestly, I don't trust myself to drive right now.."

"Zombie _happy_ _to_," Zombie said.

Zombie drove him to where the race was held. An all Street Fighter race was just finishing up. Guile won, followed by Chun-Li in second and Ryu in third. As Zombie and Candy Kane arrived, they could hear everyone in the crowds talking to each other in confusion.

"Woah there. You're _coming with us_," Wynnchel said to Candy Kane as he and Duncan approached.

"I think you've _done enough_ to this game," Duncan said, "Now come along before Vanellope comes back."

"RAAAAAGH!" Zombie yelled, and pretended to start chasing them, which made them run away some distance.

Candy Kane climbed up to the seat where Turbo, as King Candy, always sat to announce the beginning of each race. he cleared his throat and tapped the microphone to confirm that it was on.

"H-hello, citizens of Sugar Rush.." Candy Kane said, "I'm sure you must all _know_ who I am. But for those of you who don't, I am Candy Kane, formerly _King Candy_."

"You mean **Turbo**!" yelled someone from the crowd.

"Yeah! Get out of here **Turbo**!" someone else screamed. The crowd went wild, people started throwing candy at him.

"Give Zombie mic!" Zombie yelled at Candy Kane, extending his right hand after dropping the hatchet that he was holding in it.

Candy Kane did as he was told and scratched his head. So far it was going as he feared.

"RAAAAAAAAAAGH!" Zombie yelled into the microphone. To say that it was loud would be an understatement. "You not _know_ Zombie, but he have something important to say! Zombie _Bad Guy_ from game, you can guess! But there _big misconception_ about Bad Guys! Zombie have hobbies! Not just eat brains! That just in game! Zombie like racing, having meeting with other Bad Guys, and meeting new people! You know _Wreck-It Ralph_! Ralph _Bad Guy_ too! But he _save_ Sugar Rush, game you love! _Bad Guy_ save your game! Candy Kane trying to set things straight! He **not** Turbo! You not giving chance to _talk_! Not _listening_! Who _real_ Bad Guy here?! HAH?!" Zombie yelled.

Zombie was furious. He had been bottling up these feelings for _15 years_, as his game _also_ came out in 1997. Every time he would go to and from his game, he would hear people yelling "_Bad Guy coming_!" as they ran out of his way. These people not listening to his new friend trying to set things straight was what pushed him over the edge. Zombie handed the microphone back to Candy Kane as his brief speech finished echoing.

".._Thank you_, Zombie.." Candy Kane said solemnly, "I _apologize_ on Zombie's behalf. He's right, mind you. But he's had it rough and didn't know how else to express it. As for me.. I told Zombie the _full_ story earlier, but I'm afraid that it's a bit too long. It's long enough to make a _movie_ out of, you could say," Candy Kane said and sighed, "This dates back to when Sugar Rush was first plugged in _15 years_ _ago_. The one you know as **Turbo** came to this game then. I was _always_ a real racer within Sugar Rush. Yes, I _really was_ the rightful ruler. **Turbo**, I don't know how he did it, but he _took control_ of my body while everyone was busy watching the very first _Random Roster Race_. I'm sure at least one of you from this game must remember seeing me crash that day. It didn't happen often, after all. Me crashing, that is.."

There were murmurs of disbelief in the crowd. How could what he's saying be true? Can that _really_ happen? Someone _stealing your body_ and posing as you for _15 years_ before being discovered. And yet that's no more farfetched than what they thought happened. That Turbo had simply created a design for himself, _from scratch_. That he added code to make himself **King**, _from scratch_.

"It's true that in Ralph's game he's a _Bad Guy_," Candy Kane said, "But to me he's the _best Good Guy_ of all for what he did for this game. For what he did for _me_. I don't even _want_ to be a king anymore.. Just please don't make me live _alone_. I've been alone since _game one_." He put the microphone down and sat in the chair. There were more murmurs in the crowd, but they never solidified into any sorts of cheering or boos. Nor calling for his head. Wynnchel and Duncan came up to him. Zombie went to threaten them again, but Candy Kane motioned for him to stop.

"Sorry sir, it's not _our call_," Duncan said solemnly.

"You can tell Vanellope _yourself_ when she comes back," Wynnchel said just as solemnly, "Good luck with it.."

They escorted him down in candy cuffs. It was then that he could see her in the corner of his eye. _There_ she was, glitching into whitish yellow code. Glitching between the forms of a 9 year old girl, and a 19 year old woman.

"Are you _really_ not **Turbo**?" Vanellope asked.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Check chapter 25 of "A Sudden Surge" to understand what's going on with Vanellope right now. If you're not already, I highly suggest reading the full thing, as you otherwise wouldn't know the whole story I'm trying to tell.


	4. Chapter 4

Candy Kane looked over to Vanellope, his eyes full of shock and _fear_. Fear of being rejected by the one who **Turbo** hurt most. _His_ _daughter_. His knees went weak and he fell on his backside. He took a deep breath and said, "I'm _not_.."

Vanellope slowly forced herself to walk up to him, stretching her arm out. She grabbed his forearm _tightly_. Her grabbing his arm like this sent chills down his spine. He looked into her eyes, afraid that she might see in him in some remnant of the man who once controlled him. She glitched, making him glitch alongside her.. Before, those months back when **Turbo** attacked her during the _Random Roster Race_, this forced him to reveal himself, making him glitch into red code, occasionally removing his disguise. But this time it was just bluish white code that Candy Kane glitched into. There was no sign of **Turbo**. He was _clean_.

"You're _not_.." Vanellope said in disbelief, glitching to her older self and back again. She let go of him and backed away. "_Let him go_.." she said before suddenly sitting down and putting her hand on her forehead. She closed her eyes, suddenly having an unbearable headache.

"_Vanellope_!" Ralph yelled, "Are you _okay_?!"

Vanellope glitched into her older self and opened her eyes. She just sat there and said, "My.. Our? head is killing me.."

Wynnchel uncuffed Candy Kane as instructed.

"Ralph, _what's going on_? What _happened_?!" Candy Kane asked, getting to his feet.

"I don't know!" Ralph said, "We were with the Vanellope from Sugar Rush 2 and once we got here they sort of.. _merged_ or something."

"_Merged_?!" Candy Kane asked in disbelief. Was someone in the _code room_ right now, messing with files?! No.. It only happened as soon as they got there, it _can't_ be that.. "Ralph! We _have_ to get her to the code room! If there's any way to fix this, it would have to be _there_!"

Ralph briefly glitched into whitish yellow code.

"You appear to be glitching as well! What in the world is going _on_?!" Candy Kane asked. There was too much happening at once. He could hardly handle one crisis, let alone a second at the same time. The people standing around and sitting in the stands wasn't helping matters either. He wished they would just buzz off, but just ignored them.

"I lost my memory. It's not important right now," Ralph said insistently, "We need to get Vanellope there _now_!"

"I have **no** right to go there, Ralph," King Candy said, "Not after what **Turbo** did.. Take _this code_.." He reached into his suit, but couldn't find it. Where was the code?! Did it disintegrate along with Turbo and that Cy-bug when he died at Diet Cola Mountain? "The code is _gone_.." he said. He was mortified. And losing memories?! Did it have something to do with the new surge protectors? He decided to set that matter aside for now. If anything were to happen to Vanellope, he didn't know what he would do.

Ralph paced around thinking and said, "**No**, you're coming with_ me_. You might remember the code when we get there. Besides, _you've_ been in there before. You would know better than any of us what to do." He lifted Vanellope up into his arms, and looked at Candy Kane saying "Get a kart."

"Ralph is right," Candy Kane thought to himself, "I'm best suited for this, it just doesn't feel right.. But I have to do something. It looks like Vanellope's condition might be _unstable_." He looked over at Ralph and then Zombie's kart.

"These karts are made for one, you know!" Candy Kane said, "How do you expect to fit?!" He had to ride on the back of Zombie's kart to get there. Ralph is rather large, the three of them would never fit.

"I can _drive_, you know!" Vanellope pointed out, "_Hello? Racer here._" She fully welcomed being held by Ralph. It felt pretty nice, she thought. But she was fully capable of standing on her own.

"Absolutely **not**!" Ralph said sternly, "I can't trust you to drive in _that condition_."

Ralph glitched again and said, "_I'll_ drive, you sit. Candy, get _another kart_ and drive yourself."

Vanellope wasn't amused, but she went along with it. She somehow didn't feel like driving anyway.

"Zombie come _too_," Zombie said insistently, "Zombie drive for Candy Kane!"

And with that, they headed for the castle. Zombie and King Candy were using Zombie's Smartie Kart. Ralph grabbed the kart Guile had used in the race that had finished just before, since it was closest to where they were. Guile didn't seem to mind. He could always just make another one if it got trashed. It was grey and shaped like a rocket. There were flames on the back, painted on with red and orange frosting.

"How you holding up?" Ralph asked Vanellope as he furiously propelled the kart with his hands.

"_I'm_.. We're fine," Vanellope said. She didn't want to say it, because she didn't want Ralph to freak out any more than he already was, but she remembered him driving her like this before, even though it should be the younger Vanellope's memories, not hers. It was as if all of their memories were getting _mixed up_.

Ralph let the kart coast to a stop as they reached the castle. It wasn't the _fastest_ of rides. Zombie and King Candy had to slow their pace to match.

Vanellope got out of the kart by herself. It's not like she couldn't walk or anything. She felt as though Ralph was panicking a little too much. King Candy split from Turbo safely enough, apparently. She didn't have any reason to believe this wouldn't be the case for her and the younger Vanellope as well.

As they went inside, a chill went down King Candy's spine. It was weird, being back in the castle. He had given up on even _seeing it up close_ again. "It's this way, behind this curtain," King Candy said, quickening his pace to pull the curtain back. They went into the hidden elevator and went down. There it was, the entrance to the _code room_.

"You think you can open it?" Ralph asked.

"Look Ralph, I'm no good with remembering sequences, okay?" King Candy said, "I remember at the end there was '_B A Start_', but that's about it. There were lots of ups, downs, lefts and rights.."

"Well this is getting us _nowhere_.." Ralph said disappointedly. He punched the door leaving a dent. He winced. He punched it again harder, this time leaving a larger dent. Some _skin peeled off_ of his knuckles which made him briefly yell in pain. With two final punches infused with _all his might_, the door busted open. "We'll just have Felix fix it later," he said, taking deep breaths to calm down.

"_My hero_," Vanellope said sarcastically, even though she meant it. Ralph briefly glitched.

"Remembering stuff sucks," Ralph said, "It's making this headache worse.." King Candy looked at him with concern in his eyes. Just what exactly is he going through? They went inside the _code room_. "So what are we _looking_ for?" Ralph asked.

"If I had to guess it would be in her file," Candy Kane said, "And I think I may have an idea why it happened, though it's just a _theory_.."

"So are you going to _tell_ us?" Vanellope asked. She was feeling rather _tired_ from all this. And she didn't want to say anything, but _just like Ralph_, her headache had been getting worse as well. There had to be some kind of _connection_ there.

"Sorry. If I'm _right_, it's because you share the _same name_ as your counterpart," King Candy said, "_Sugar Rush_ isn't quite as advanced as some _newer_ games, after all. From what Ralph told me, it would seem as though _Sugar Rush 2_ is able to cope with it somehow. Maybe it saves guests in a different _directory_ or something."

"Ugh.. Yeah, you lost me," Ralph said.

"Well let's first start by _finding_ her file," King Candy said, "We can figure out what to do next _after_ that.."

"There's _hundreds_ of files though!" Vanellope said, "What the heck even _are_ half of these things?" She glitched to her younger form and back again.

"Just look for one with your name on it, I guess," Ralph said, "Didn't Sour Bill say something about locking up _memories_? Is that related?"

"Well, _yes_!" King Candy said, "There should be _three_ directories for memory around here somewhere, but without a separate body for the memories to go into.."

"Why _three_?" Ralph asked.

"Well," King Candy said, "one for _racer_ memory, another for _citizen_ memory, and the third is for _guests_, like yourself."

"So wait.." Ralph said, "Let's suppose I were to open the _guest memory_ thing, could I access _my_ memories like that?"

"Yes, I would imagine so," Candy Kane said, "Not that I've.. Well, not that **Turbo** ever tried.. All he did was lock them up. He never opened them or anything. Once he did that, all he had to do was explain it away saying it was because the game had just gotten plugged in."

"Okay, well I'm going to keep an eye out for that," Ralph said.

"Zombie just here for _moral support_," Zombie said as he floated around in the room with his arms crossed, still holding his hatchets, "Not want to mess anything up." He had no idea what they were talking about in regards to the files. He just didn't want to be left out after hearing what was going on.

"_Thanks_, Zombie," Ralph said, "It's good to have you around." Zombie was happy to hear that.

"It make _good story_ for meeting too," Zombie said. He was trying his best to remember the details to recount dramatically in the next meeting once the matter was settled. He always enjoyed talking about Ralph's triumphs. They proved that Bad Guys can be good guys too, despite what anyone else might have thought.

After a few minutes Ralph happened to find the _Guests' Memory_ directory, not that he was looking for it first. Oddly enough it was _nowhere near_ the other two memory directories.

"Well, I found the guest memory thing here," Ralph said.

"Tap it twice with your left hand if you want," Candy Kane said, "It's better to do it _now_ in case we lose track of it. I'll keep looking in this direction." It was good to know where the guest memory was, as he would need that later for the older Vanellope.

Ralph did what he was told, lightly. "Woah!" he yelped as it opened, "Well _that_ surprised me.. Hey, why are there _two_ with my name on it in here? There's one with a number after it."

"It's probably because your game was _reset_," Candy Kane said, "Just merge.. Well, I guess you wouldn't know how to do that.. Tap it with your _right_ hand and there should be an option to _merge_ with another. Just tap that and the other with your _left_ hand. It's actually _quite simple_." He hoped dearly that Ralph understood what he said, and even more that Ralph's large hands didn't accidentally activate anything else.

Ralph swallowed, even though his throat was dry. He did as instructed and just floated there quietly.

"Ralph, did it work?" Candy Kane asked, "Ralph?"

* * *

**Author's Note:** So this is a retelling of the events in Parts 25 and 28 of "A Sudden Surge" from 'Candy Kane' and Zombie's point of view. In case you're wondering why I'm still calling him Candy Kane in this story.. Well, I plan on changing that after a while in a coming chapter. But for now I'm going with that since it's what Zombie calls him. Zombie isn't sure if he should just call him Candy or not.


	5. Chapter 5

Candy Kane floated over to where Ralph was to see why he was unresponsive. With a concerned look in his eyes he waved a hand in front of Ralph's face. He looked over into the _Guests' Memory_ directory where Ralph was digging through and saw that his memory was at 2%. It slowly ticked ahead to 3%.

"Guess that's _normal_ then," Candy Kane said reluctantly before floating off, finally locating Vanellope's file. He hesitated for a moment before opening it. It was more ordered than expected, despite it having character data for two.

"Vanellope, I found it," Candy Kane said, "You should be the one to do it after all.. Vanellope? She's passed out. It's worse than I thought.. So I've really got to do this.. God please don't let me mess this up.. Zombie, could you keep an eye on Ralph and Vanellope for me?" This wasn't right.. The game was forcibly merging the two of them into one entity, trying to work out which of the two it should prioritize.

"Yes!" Zombie said, "Zombie have faith in Candy Kane."

Candy Kane was thankful, hearing those words, however misplaced they might be. He didn't _exactly_ know what he was doing after all. His knowledge of files comes secondhand from watching what **Turbo** had done. It's not like Turbo was explaining what he did as he did it.

Candy Kane sighed as he closed the file before tapping it with his right hand to bring up the file options. "_Unmerge All_ would be the obvious choice, right?" King Candy asked himself before selecting it. A small prompt popped up stating that the two files had the same name and asked if one should replace the other instead or get renamed. "Well obviously **not**!" he said in frustration, "Cancel.. There's got to be another way.. We need a _guest directory_ or something, why didn't the developers _think_ about that?"

Candy Kane floated around in frustration. There had to be some kind of way to _create_ one himself.. "**Help**?" he said confusedly as he saw a file with that name. He activated it.

"My name is Lump, your coding assistant. It looks like you're having trouble. Would you like help?" a sugar cube with eyes and a mouth asked cheerfully.

"Can you understand me?" Candy Kane asked, hoping that it had some level of sentience.

"It looks like you're having trouble. Would you like help?" Lump asked again without answering his question. Candy Kane sighed.. Maybe it didn't. It doesn't hurt to ask.. At worst he's talking to himself.

"How would I make a directory for guests?" Candy Kane asked. Two help file shortcuts popped up in front of him next to Lump. One was for how to make a directory, and one explains the Guests' Memory directory.

"It looks like you're trying to make a directory. Would you like help?" Lump asked cheerfully.

"Yes. I would," Candy Kane said seriously. He didn't have time to read documents.

"To make a directory, activate this shortcut," Lump said cheerfully. Candy Kane activated it as he was told. A new directory without any connections materialized with the name 'New Folder'.

"Rename the directory by right tapping and selecting 'Rename'," Lump said cheerfully. Candy Kane renamed it to 'Guests'.

"Congratulations, you have created a directory." Lump said.

"How do I redirect save locations?" Candy Kane asked, hoping his word choice was good enough.

"It looks like you're trying to alter file locations. Would you like help?" Lump asked. Help documents popped up which he ignored.

"Yes. I am trying to alter guest file locations. How do I go about this?" Candy Kane asked.

"Please specify," Lump said.

"How do I alter guest file locations?" Candy Kane asked. He was becoming frustrated with this 'coding assistant'. Why couldn't it just understand exactly what he was saying?

"Please specify," Lump said. Candy Kane stifled the urge to strangle this cube of sugar.

"How do I alter file locations by type?" Candy Kane asked.

"Please specify type," Lump said.

"Guests!" Candy Kane yelled.

"It looks like you're trying to alter guest file locations. Please specify _Memory_ or _Profile_," Lump said. Candy Kane planted his palm firmly against his face.

"_Profile_!" Candy Kane yelled. Finally something useful!

"Please specify directory for _Guest Profiles_," Lump said.

"_Guests_," Candy Kane said.

"Multiple directories containing '_Guests_' currently exist, please select one," Lump said. Shortcuts to '_Guests' Memory_' and '_Guests_' appeared beside Lump. Candy Kane selected '_Guests_'.

"Please wait while _Guest Profiles_ are redirected to new directory '_Guests_'," Lump said.

"Congratulations, you have altered file locations." Lump said.

Candy Kane floated back to Vanellope's file and tried _unmerging_ them again.

"It looks like you're trying to unmerge files. Would you like help?" Lump asked.

"**No**!" Candy Kane yelled, "How do I turn you **off**?!"

"Would you like to turn off Lump, your coding assistant?" Lump asked.

"_Yes_.." Candy Kane said with a sigh.

"This has been Lump, your coding assistant. Activate '_Help_' if you require assistance," Lump said before disappearing.

Such an annoying little piece of code. But there was no denying it helped him do what he needed to do.

"Rename to Vanellope Von Schweetz (1)," Candy Kane mumbled to himself as he did just that, "Okay it looks like this is the one for Sugar Rush 2.. Drag this over here.. Rename.. I hope I never have to do _this_ again.." Such a frustrating experience.

The two Vanellopes woke up, completely separated. Zombie was sitting there watching like a hawk.

"They awake!" Zombie yelled before backing away and floating around. It was an interesting experience for him to say the least. Floating around in a room with zero gravity. Candy Kane floated over to where they were.

"Dear, you're going to have to have your father fix your code once you get back," Candy Kane said seriously, looking the older Vanellope in the eye, "I did what I _could_, but your game might not recognize you as a _racer_, or even a character from your game until he does."

"Thanks dad! _Oh_.. Well, you know what I mean," the older Vanellope said as she hugged him, "Where's Ralph?"

"He.. He's," Candy Kane said as he cleared his throat, "He's over there, taking a nap." He pointed in the general direction Ralph was in.

The older Vanellope swam over to Ralph, as the younger Vanellope stayed back to talk to Candy Kane.

"I'm sorry!" the younger Vanellope said as she suddenly hugged King Candy, "Thank you! I just.." Candy Kane's heart nearly melted. He had given up on ever hugging his daughter again, after what Turbo had done. If he knew things could have gone like this he wished that he had left _Diet Cola Mountain_ months ago. What was he so afraid of?

"It's okay," Candy Kane said as he hugged her back, "You had every right to feel the way you did after everything that happened."

"You can have your job back if you want it," the younger Vanellope said as the tears streamed down her face, "Just don't bully Sour Bill too much, he might go ballistic." She laughed.

"I need to apologize to Sour Bill as well. Poor little guy.." Candy Kane said, "I know you want to see Ralph, so I'll leave you three alone. Just don't let him wreck anything else, ahaha." With that he and Zombie left the code room and waited in the hall.

Candy Kane sat down at the end of the hall by the busted open door. He would appreciate it if Felix would come along and fix it already.

"Zombie have something to tell Candy Kane.." Zombie said solemnly as he sat down as well, "Zombie not tell _whole_ story at _Diet Cola Mountain_.."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Next chapter is Zombie's story, quite obviously. And yes, Lump is supposed to be "Clippy".


	6. Chapter 6

"This story not something Zombie like telling," Zombie said solemnly, "It start 2 years after The House of the Dead first plugged in.. _Bad Guys_ treated same back then, people still scared. _More_ scared, Zombie think.. This before Zombie have friends outside game. Other zombies not much fun, always keep to self, not talk much.. Zombie not like to think about it, but Zombie was lonely.." Zombie dropped his hatchets beside him to clasp his hands together, "Truth is, Zombie thought about _killing self_ outside game.. Zombie think.. What point of living if _dead inside_? Other Zombies in his game, won't be missed. Game not get unplugged.. That when Zombie look for fight in _Street Fighter_. People always die in game he thought."

"Oh _Zombie_.." Candy Kane said. Zombie has had it harder than he imagined. He was trying to hold back tears, listening to Zombie's story. It wasn't just _him_ all this time.

"It okay. Not so bad once get there.." Zombie said, "Zombie was ready for fight.. Ready for _death_.. Almost killed when _Blanka_ came, but that when Zombie meet _Zangief_," Zombie smiled briefly, "Zangief stop Blanka from finishing Zombie off. For first time, someone show Zombie _kindness_. Zangief ask why Zombie pick fight in Street Fighter, knowing _game over_ if killed. Zombie tell him how he felt, life not have meaning.. That when Zangief bring Zombie to _Pacman_. That when Zombie meet _Clyde_," Zombie smiled briefly again, "Clyde _Bad Guy_ like Zombie and Zangief. Clyde explain _importance_ of life. Said Zombie could come _talk_ whenever he want. _Zangief too_. Zombie not want to think what happen if he not met them when he did. But that when we start having _meeting_ once a week. Just three of us, at first. Then _M. Bison_ join.. Then _Cyborg_. Clyde think then we need _name_ for group. Since all _Bad Guys_, he call it _Bad Anon_. It motto '_One Game at a Time_'. Time passed, more members join.. Zombie think life _not so bad_ now. Best part when _Ralph_ join," he laughed sadly, "Ralph think like Zombie back then, not to point of _deathwish_, but still feel bad. Zombie see same hurt in eyes. Zombie wish he more loquacious, talk _more_ to Ralph. But Zombie guess it for _best_.. Next day when Ralph went _Turbo_. That why it good thing."

"So _Ralph_ was.." Candy Kane said and stopped himself, looking out to the code room.

"It **good** thing.." Zombie said pointedly, "Zombie always tell self, '_one game at a time_'.. Answer not good enough for _Ralph_.. He not like role as _Bad Guy_. Same thing, people _avoid_ Ralph. It change when Ralph came here, Zombie see _why_ now. Zombie wish he come here sooner _too_, but guess he not have same result as _Ralph_. Ralph _lucky. _He meet Vanellope, make friend who not _Bad Guy_. Zombie always thought it impossible. Zombie thought it too risky.. Feel bad when people run away. Zombie not like that feeling.. Zombie wanted to cry when he heard Ralph success story. _So happy_.. _Saved game_ even though he _Bad Guy_. Zombie think maybe things change after this.. But it change just for _Ralph_."

"Things will change, I can guarantee it.." Candy Kane said. He would make sure of it _somehow_.

"Zombie happy you say that, but not so sure," Zombie said, "Like Zombie saying. Since then, things stay same.. But then Litwak change power strip, forced us out of game. Zombie not want to _forget_ everything. _Too much_ to lose. Time with _Zangief, Clyde_.. _Ralph_. Zombie not want to forget _anything_. Came to Sugar Rush.. Made _kart_ with Zangief.. Zombie raced for first time. Zombie **won**!" he laughed, "Zombie not know so much fun existed.. That when Zombie thought, maybe things do change for Zombie. Zombie went to _Diet Cola Mountain_, place where _Ralph_ saved Sugar Rush.. Find inspiration.. That when Zombie met Candy Kane, first friend who not _Bad Guy_.. That why Zombie not let Candy Kane stay in mountain. Zombie think.. If going to live, then it best if _live full of life_.. Zombie glad he help Candy Kane see that.."

"Thank you Zombie.. For telling me your story," Candy Kane said wiping his eyes, "For being there for me when I shut myself away.. I don't know if there's much that I can do about it, but I guarantee you.. There **are** people who will see you for who you really are. Not just some zombie who might eat their brains.. I think your _speech_ earlier today might have changed a few minds as well. You put the shame in them like nobody's business, you know."

"So where's King Candy?" Ralph could faintly be heard asking as he and the two Vanellopes floated toward the exit, "I've gotta thank him."

"I'm over _here_, ahaha!" King Candy said, waving from the exit of the room, "You're _welcome_!"

"Zombie here _too_!" Zombie yelled.

"_Thanks_, Zombie," Ralph said, "It's good to have you around."

"This door is really going to be a _problem_, you know," King Candy said, "You said Felix would fix it, but where _is_ he exactly?"

"Oh.. Sorry about that," Ralph said looking at his knuckles which were still hurt, "We'll go look for him now if you want.."

"Please do!" King Candy said. He hoped his eyes weren't bloodshot from all the crying.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I really feel bad for Zombie.. He's had a rough life.


	7. Chapter 7

Ralph, Vanellope, and Vannie returned to the entrance of the code room with Felix and Calhoun in tow. The door, oddly enough, took several hits with Felix's hammer to fully restore. Calhoun helped King Candy change the code to the door just in case someone should come by in an attempt to do the same thing Turbo did. With that Ralph and the gang excused themselves and left Sugar Rush to pay a visit to X-Treme E-Z Livin' 2.

"Well, I never would have guessed you could do it like that, uhuhu," Candy Kane said. He carefully tucked the new code into his tattered clothes. He still needed a change.

"Zombie _knew_ Candy Kane could do it," Zombie said with a smile, referring to how he managed, with some help, to successfully split Vanellope back into two people.

"Oh please, you can just call me _Kane_," Candy Kane said. He wasn't exactly fond of his first name if he was at all honest about it. Besides, since there's _another_ King Candy around, he could make the excuse that he's doing it to avoid confusion between the two.

"Zombie use Kane then," Zombie said.

"Zombie, have you ever considered maybe putting the _hatchets_ away?" Kane asked, "Some people may perceive it as a _threat_, you know."

"Zombie not have place to put them," Zombie said, "Zombie think about that.. Pockets too _small_."

"I see," Kane said, "We could work something out, at least as for when the arcade is closed. Maybe a belt with holsters or something."

"Like _utility belt_?" Zombie said with a smile, "Zombie not need to be _superhero_. Joking, but that sound like good idea."

"Felix might be able to help with that," Kane said, "Although we may not get a chance to talk to him before the arcade opens." Felix did have a holster for his magical golden hammer of fixing, after all.

"That fine. Zombie wait _15 years_," Zombie said, "One day not end of world."

"Good point, ahaha," Kane said, "So there are still a few hours before the arcade opens, do you have any plans?"

"Zombie think he need to rest," Zombie said, "Zombie not sleep all day. _Dead_ sleep too somehow."

"You can use a guest room here, if you'd like," Kane said.

"Zombie appreciate offer," Zombie said, "But not want to worry _other_ zombies. Zombie come back tomorrow."

"Oh, alright," Kane said, "Well I'll see you tomorrow!" Zombie went home with a smile on his face, and hatchets in hand.

"Well, I guess I'd better get some sleep too," Kane said to himself, "Oh, I guess I should take a guest room for now, Vanellope has no doubt taken the master bedroom for herself, ahaha." He didn't have to worry about racing the next day, so he ended up sleeping until the arcade had opened and closed for the day. He slowly trudged into the dining room where Vanellope was eating lunch before heading out.

"Well hello there your kingliness," Vanellope said jokingly, "Looks like you slept well."

"Best I've slept in 15 years, ahaha," Kane said as he sat at the table, "So how is everything with _Ralph_? Was everything settled alright?"

"Yeah, it's good," Vannelope said with a smile, "I was a little disappointed that the _final boss_ was so easy. All Calhoun had to do was _talk_."

"Final boss, eh?" Kane said jokingly.

"You missed the _Random Roster Race_," Vanellope said.

"I see," Kane said, "I guess you could say I slept like the dead, ahaha."

"You do want your job back, right?" Vanellope asked, "I'm keeping _my_ title all the same either way."

"My _job_, hmm?" Kane asked with a laugh, "Yes, I'd like that."

"You might want to get changed if you're heading out," Vanellope said with a laugh, "Can't have royalty walking around in rags, now can we?"

"Ah, slipped my mind," Kane said, "I'd better go do that now."

* * *

By this time, Zombie was happily humming while riding the monorail to Game Station East, then headed inside Sugar Rush. He grabbed his kart which was parked off to the side near the entrance in a parking area of sorts and drove to the castle. He knocked, on the door, where he was greeted by Sour Bill.

"Zombie here to see Kane," Zombie said cheerfully.

"One moment," Sour Bill said in a nervous monotone. It was his first time seeing a zombie, let alone one that talked. He ran to Vanellope explaining what he'd just seen.

"Oh, that's just Zombie, he's King Candy's friend," Vanellope said with a laugh, "Go inform him of his guest."

"R-right away," Sour Bill said, doing as he was told.

"Ah, Sour Bill," Kane said with a smile after having gotten changed, "It's been a while." He was wearing a crown again, though he figured it's mostly for show at this point.

"Zombie is here to see you," Sour Bill said in his monotone, having finally composed himself after the shock of seeing a zombie.

"Thank you," Kane said, "Yes, I was expecting him."

"Mhm," Sour Bill said as he walked off.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Well I figured it was about time I showed them in a good mood. A small surprise in the next chapter. That's why this one's so short. By the way, no this isn't going to turn into some kind of romance between the two.


	8. Chapter 8

"I'm leaving," Vanellope said happily, "See ya later your kingliness. And you too Zombie."

Kane and Zombie were standing near the stairs in the throne room.

"Have fun," Kane said, "Ahaha, such a sweet child." He still had a hard time believing that after all this time, after all that _Turbo_ had done using his face, she of all people was treating him kindly. Maybe not so much treating him as her _father_.. That was far beyond what he could ever hope to expect.. But it was worth it suffering through those 15 years.

As Vanellope approached the door, there was a knock. She opened it, and there stood King Candy, from _Sugar Rush 2_.

King Candy stood there in shock. He still hadn't talked to Vanellope since the day before. The last time he saw her he was a wreck, she had looked at him with such hateful eyes at first, and then even after the misunderstanding was sorted out, she still wouldn't even look at him. As far as he knew she still hated him.

"Oh hey.." Vanellope said shyly, "Umm.. Sorry about yesterday.. We cool?" She scratched the back of her head. It suddenly felt hot in the castle.

King Candy laughed nervously, "Y-yeah.."

"Alright," Vanellope said forcing a smile, "So what brings you here?"

"W-well, you see.." King Candy started, "My daughter.. I mean, you know, the other Vanellope said that I, no.. King Candy from _this_ game fixed the two of you, and I just thought that I would give him a few tips, that's all."

"Ah, he's right over there," Vanellope said, "Go on in."

He cautiously walked inside feeling as if he was walking into enemy territory for peace negotiations.

"I really _am_ sorry.." Vanellope said as she walked out the castle, closing the door behind her. She stood there for a moment leaning against the door before running off in hopes of finding Ralph.

"Good evening, uhuhu," Kane said excitedly, "So you must be my counterpart from Sugar Rush 2."

"Yes, it's a pleasure to meet you," King Candy said as he shook Kane's hand.

"My name Zombie," Zombie said with a smile. He always did smile when meeting new people, even if they did usually end up running away after. King Candy was.. _surprised_.. to see a Zombie. It was his first time seeing the living dead. Vannie did explain to him that there was a Zombie helping out Sugar Rush's King Candy.

King Candy recovered from his surprise for the most part and said, "It's nice to meet you, Zombie, ahaha.. So my daughter tells me you had to split her and _your_ daughter up."

"It was a _nightmare_!" Kane said, "I had no idea what I was doing, but it seems to have worked. At least as a temporary solution."

"It was a good attempt, uhuhu," King Candy said, "I came here so that I could teach you a thing or two, and maybe make sure everything is working properly. I had my doubts about entering the game at first to be honest, you know. But it seems to be working alright."

"There was this **annoying** sugar cube giving me advice," Kane said bitterly before sighing deeply and continuing, "Otherwise.. I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to do much."

"That's a bit strange," King Candy said, "You see, I was programmed to know all these sorts of things, but it seems as though you were not made with the same purpose in mind." Zombie was just following the conversation, not really seeing where he could add anything. It was weird seeing two 'Kane's' talking. All he could figure is that the one he knew was a bit shorter.

"Well, the code room is _this_ way," Kane said hesitantly. He figured that he could trust 'himself', but all the same, letting someone into the code room didn't seem the best of ideas.

"Ah, it would appear they kept it in the same location," King Candy said happily, "Fear not, I'll teach you all I know, ahaha."

Kane pulled out the code from his pocket and entered it in, the door slide open.

"It's a bit more tangled than in my game," King Candy said, "No offense."

Zombie just followed them inside quietly, not sure what to make of the situation. The three of them talked at length, with King Candy giving explanations for various methods of file sorting and manipulation. How to create new racers and items received particular attention. Most of it went over Zombie's head, it's not like he was going to be doing any code manipulation anyway.

"So how _is_ your daughter doing?" Kane asked.

"Oh, she's doing _great_, ahaha," King Candy said, "I did have to fix a _few_ things here and there, but fortunately it was more or less done properly."

"That's a relief.." Kane said, "So it seems as though she's going out with _Ralph_."

"Ah, I had a feeling there may be something going on between them, uhuhu," King Candy said, "She talks about him _constantly_."

"He's quite dependable," Kane said, "I don't suppose you heard of his exploits in this game?"

"Zombie _like_ this story!" Zombie said happily, "..Continue."

"Well I've heard some talk of a **Turbo** character taking over.." King Candy said seriously, "But aside from that.."

"Yes.. It went on for _15 years_.." Kane said, "That's how long Turbo had assumed my identity. It was a _long_ 15 years.."

Kane went on at length, recounting the story in greater detail than when he told Zombie, he added in a few more details after having told the story a second time now.

"And so here we are.." Kane said.

"Amazing.." King Candy said, "I never expected Ralph was so.. _heroic_."

"Yes.." Kane said, "So I don't think you'll have to worry _too much_ about Ralph.. Well he may be a bit clumsy at times."

"I still can't believe he would allow himself to live a _dump_ though," King Candy said, "It's such a waste.. I need to talk to him about that.."

"Oh! Speaking of which we were on our way to see _Felix_," Kane said, "We may run into Ralph on the way."

They left the castle and went on their way to Fix-It Felix Jr. On the way they noticed out in the distance Vanellope leading Jubileena and Candlehead from Sugar Rush 2, their younger counterparts, and two soldiers around.

"She looks like she's having fun," Kane said happily.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Doubling your Candy allowance :). So this is a point where it's about to converge a tiny bit with "The Honeyglow Surge". You should be alright without reading it, but I do however highly recommend reading it and its predecessor "A Sudden Surge" all the same.


End file.
